


Kisses

by Unoriginalpoet



Category: Avatar: The Last Airbender
Genre: Aang (Avatar) Is A Good Parent, Bittersweet Ending, F/M, Family Feels, Friendship/Love, Growing Old Together, Implied/Referenced Character Death, Implied/Referenced Sex, Romance, Short & Sweet, Time Skips, Young Love
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-13
Updated: 2020-10-13
Packaged: 2021-03-08 00:27:34
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,133
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26986690
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Unoriginalpoet/pseuds/Unoriginalpoet
Summary: She knew his kisses well, the feeling of his lips against hers, the smell of him as he pulled her closer, and the overwhelming feelings each one stirred inside of her. They were expressive yes, but not just the vehicle for affection like she had so naively thought as they'd shared far too many for her to ignore the silent words each spoke. They said what mere words never could...Or the progression of love and growth, through shared kisses and the beating of two hearts as one.
Relationships: Aang/Katara (Avatar)
Comments: 4
Kudos: 28





	Kisses

**Author's Note:**

> Hello, U.P. here!  
> I've only recently joined the Ao3 community, but I'm excited to share with you guys and to see what this platform is like! I'm more active on FF, but I've heard a lot about this site so I thought, why not? And to start me off, I figured I'd share this one-shot that I wrote during the summer of endless quarantine.  
> It's a progressional one-shot, and it's a favorite of mine so I hope you guys enjoy it as well. And please forgive me for any formatting mistakes or technical stuff as I'm trying to get the hang of this switch!

As a young child she never understood why kisses were used to show affection. Her mother would lay a delicate one on her forehead or the tip of her nose some nights before going to bed, and other days she'd plant a soothing one on her chubby cheeks, but it still never made much sense to her.

Many years went by before it finally did. She knew his kisses well, the feeling of his lips against hers, the smell of him as he pulled her closer, and the overwhelming feelings each one stirred inside of her. They were expressive yes, but not just the vehicle for affection like she had so naively thought as they'd shared far too many for her to ignore the silent words each spoke. They said what mere words never could.

When they were kids, they were innocent and riddled with the cheesy sentiments that made their hearts pound and their cheeks blush with youthful bliss...

* * *

**I Like You…**

...

_She could feel his nerves through the hand he placed on her shoulder and his breath was shaky right before his lips met hers in a quick kiss. Pulling away nearly as fast as he had leaned in, she was left blinking to reorientate herself to what had happened, her eyes wide as the feeling of his lips against her made her mouth tingle._

_His cheeks were red, and he awkwardly glanced around, only daring to meet her eye once or twice. She had been expecting this, she knew he liked her, and she liked him, but to have it happen so abruptly and while they stargazed on Appa was... unexpected._

_"What… what was that for?" She asked him, slowly reeling her thoughts in as the reality that he had actually kissed her on the mouth sank in and there was no denying the heat that rose to her own cheeks as well._

_"Don't people who like each other kiss like that? I thought since—" He stopped himself with wide, scared eyes and he panicked "You didn't like it! I'm so sorry—I didn't mean to—I shouldn't have just—I—"_

_"Aang!"_

_Her voice managed to grab his attention back to her with a start, his eyes still wide and guilty as he hesitantly met hers. She couldn't help the chuckle that escaped at how quickly he assumed the worst and closed the distance again between them, capturing his mouth with her own shy peck. Feeling her own blush deepen, she gave him a smile. "I liked it."_

_..._

**You're beautiful…**

_..._

_"Well, what do you think?" She gave a twirl and casted her gaze on the two boys that sat behind her._

_Sokka gave a quick glance over her dress and waved a hand. "Yeah, it's gorgeous. Can we just leave already?" He groaned, taking a chanced glance outside the window "At this rate we'll be late, and I am NOT fighting that stupid bear over the ribs again! That was so embarrassing."_

_Katara rolled her eyes as he began muttering to himself and looked next to her brother at the air bender who had yet to say a word though his eyes had been glued to her the moment she stepped into his view. "Aang, what do you think?"_

_The question came out innocent, but the thinly veiled anticipation was there since it was his opinion she really wanted after all. He didn't respond, only looking at her with unreadable eyes, and she bit her lip as it sent her heart plummeting to her stomach._

_Turning back to the mirror, she frantically started adjusting the dress and her hair, "You're right, it's too much. Maybe if I take this away it won't be so—" Her shaking hands paused as she fought the tears brimming her eyes, "—never mind, I think I should just put something else on, this looks terrible and I ca—"_

_Before the excuses were flying off her tongue, she was already turning to retreat into her bedroom. A warm hand quickly stopped her though as he grasped her wrist and she whirled around to him. Aang cupped her cheek with his other hand and placed a gentle, but sweet kiss to her lips. It brought her thoughts to a screeching halt and before she could savor it he pulled away._

_"You are beautiful no matter what you wear." The sincerity in his voice melted any worry about her appearance away as quickly as it had come, and his smile sent a ripple of warmth through her body. He glanced down at her dress and she caught the faint blush that tinted his cheeks, "but I really like this one."_

_"Can we keep the oogies away until after I've had something to eat please? At this rate I may lose my appetite."_

_"Sokka, shut up."_

_..._

* * *

But as they grew, their kisses grew with them. Becoming more confident as the years drew on, they shed the childish trepidation that once held them back and exploration became the only cure for the curiosity that burned inside of them; the more time they spent alone together giving all the more invitations for those questions to manifest themselves into answers...

* * *

**I'm not a kid anymore…**

_..._

_Over all the screams going on inside her head, one was the loudest and it begged a very startling question: When did he learn to kiss like this?_

_All she knew was that the minute Sokka and Toph left the room and he could feel them a safe distance away, his lips were crashing onto hers and sending them both into a heap on the cushions._

_Their kisses hadn't extended much past a simple peck or a drawn-out gentle press of the mouth since they had started dating, but this was different. Part of her knew it had to do with the words she'd just spoken to the others before they left, but the other part couldn't have cared less and was shooting off fireworks and every type of jolt that could course through her body as his tongue grazed her bottom lip._

_With a thrill that sent her heart racing, she parted her lips and began exploring his mouth with as much fervor as he did hers, the need to be closer to him becoming unbearable as she wrapped her arms around his neck and pulled him in further._

_As unbelievable as the kiss was, something else that fidgeted with the hem of her top brought her attention back to their surroundings along with the curious hands on her sides that sent shivers down her spine at their feathery touch._

_Immediately she was aware of her dire need for air and pulled away abruptly, his shallow and staggered breaths against her lips indicating his own need as well._

_"Well?" She didn't have to look into those mischievous gray eyes nor down to those succulently parted lips to know the smirk on his face was beaming with an obnoxiously prideful gleam. "Still think my kisses are cute now?"_

_She laughed knowing her teasing had just supplemented Toph's jested jabs that compared the avatar's seduction skills to his element—light and nowhere to be seen—but was not in the least opposed to the reaction it got._

_After reigning in her laughter, she looked to him with a playful smile. "I don't know," She drew out coyly, inching her way back up to his face as she peered into his eyes with big blue ones, "Maybe with a little more convincing you may be able to change my mind."_

_Her smile only widened at the grin that spread across his face and without any hesitation he brought his lips back to hers, the kiss not as passionate as before though the potential was there, and she tried to coax it back out. While still the reckless kid she found some time ago, his modesty seemed to creep in at the most random times yet, but she knew he couldn't say no to her and quickly found her head spinning for the second time as he deepened their kiss in response. That meant miffed was an understatement when his body tensed not moments later and he abruptly pulled away with wide eyes, leaning his weight further on the foot that still rested on the ground as if listening for something. She sat up and raked her gaze over him in worry._

_"Aang, what's wrong?"_

_Without warning he was halfway across the room with glider in hand and she just stared at him as he paused in front of the window. He cocked his head towards her, mouth open to speak when his answer was supplied by a shout from the hallway—"WHAT DID YOU JUST SAY!?"— and the door was sent slamming the wall behind it._

_Instead of saying anything, Aang gave her one last grin and a devious wink before disappearing out the window, Sokka only a few inches short of touching his foot in an overprotective onslaught of rage. He too vanished out the door in the blink of an eye, no doubt after the avatar that was smiling like a lovesick puppy as he sailed over the rooftops of Ba Sing Se, and Katara fixed her annoyed gaze on the earth bender who leaned smugly against the doorframe, a smirk etching itself into the corners of her mouth._

_"I knew Twinkle-Toes had it in him."_

* * *

And where those invitations laid open, something else burned hotter than curiosities enticing path. It wasn't completely new, the gradual fire lit between their bodies having been something the innocence of theirs mind simply swept into the depth of uncharted territory and pridefully kept at bay as long as it could. But it was inevitable. The years had only served them both well as it matured both their minds and their bodies, and it was all the more forceful in turning up the heat until passion replaced the once dominantly innocent. And it craved more than just a tender kiss she was all too aware...

* * *

**I Want You...**

_..._

_Air was an illusion at this point she realized. She needed it desperately, her own lungs wringing in their plead for more, but it was no use._

_There wasn't much in there when her breaths turned shallow after he pulled her into the first door that led to somewhere where there weren't people, neither particularly objecting that it was a rather tight closet space—it's not like they needed much room anyways—and the rest pillowing out when he no sooner closed the door behind him that he captured her mouth with his._

_She could see it in his eyes the moment he saw her the first time that night, a sense of pride swelling inside of her after the careful hours she'd spent choosing her dress, and it came as no surprise when that same look surfaced again later that night with a vengeance that sent goosebumps all over. She would've laughed seeing his annoyance as he scanned the large ballroom and realized there were too many prying eyes for him to do much in that moment, but instead she resonated those feelings as well and was the first to pull him away. After a few very awkward attempts to find some privacy, he began tugging a bit more earnestly before landing on the space they occupied now._

_Everything in the closet seemed to pull the very breath from her lips. From the force in which he leaned into their kiss that sent her back crashing against the wall behind her to the sheer desire that threatened to run her heart out of her already heaving chest as it was pressed against his. It didn't help that her legs were tightly secured around his waist, pulling him in as close as humanly possible with no chance of escape, and he only encouraged it as his hands kept a firm grasp on them, lingering just above the back of her knees. She couldn't help the smile as she was immensely grateful for her choice in dresses now, her long blue gown having slits on either side that could've easily gone unnoticed while standing though they served a much better purpose in that moment as it left her with unrestricted movement._

_It was blissfully ironic when she finally pulled herself away and tilted her chin upwards to relieve her dying lungs of oxygen, but no sooner had that fresh breath been sharply taken in as a gasp had it released itself back out those same lips in a soft moan. He took the sensational opportunity to plant a few kisses along her jaw line before gravitating to the tender skin on her neck, his teeth grazing so lightly that it sent shivers down her back and made her toes curl a little. Even with the unobstructed access she had to what little air seemed left in the small space, it teased her and kept her breathless._

_"A-Aang" She tried to ignore the way her voice cracked, each hungry kiss he planted on her dark skin causing her throat to close that much further. He let out a low noise, something oddly close to a growl and it lit her skin on fire though the warmth of the room was already evident from the beads of sweat lining her hairline. Still though, the reasoning side of her brain decided to persist despite the clear opposition of every member of her body, "Aang, we should probably head back out there. It would be bad if someone caught us like... this."_

_He paused, her words being enough to cut through his ambitious hormones to his begrudgingly aware thoughts, and she could feel his hot breath coating the base of her neck as he sighed. "Yeah, you're right."_

_Coming back down to reality as her feet hit the floor, her legs still tingling, was even harder than catching her breathe. Judging by the sweat that had begun its descent down both of their faces there was no telling how long their guilty escape had been, and it became even more obvious when the cold air brushing against their burning hot skin was marred by the faces of their friends._

_They knew. It couldn't have been a secret anyway... the all too plain absence, the clothes that were disheveled, the swollen lips, the crimson blushes, or the stupidly sly grins that neither of them could drop. Any of them spoke more than words could._

* * *

But as passion turned their kisses into a world more than just lips brushing against each other, it brought with it the senseless doubts that trick the mind into accepting realities that only it could melt away...

* * *

**You're Perfect...**

_..._

_"Can I ask you a question?"_

_"Sure."_

_"Do you think I'm... beautiful?"_

_Her voice was quiet and tentative, but it was met with a sudden eruption of laughter that caused the hair on her neck to stand as his breath brushed against the nape of it. Just as sudden was the swell of anger that bubbled inside of her as it filled her ear and she quickly sat up to cock a steady glare at him, the arm that was draped over her immediately dropping to her hip. Was it really that funny?_

_He rolled onto his back, the wonderful sound of his laughter being something that would've sent her heart racing just hours ago but only served to fuel her now sour mood more, and she slapped a harsh hand down on his chest. "It's not funny, just answer my question!"_

_He showed no signs of pain from her hit as only an amused smile spread across his lips and he cracked an eye open to her. "It kind of is that you would even ask that question... especially now of all times."_

_She ignored the excitement that flared up at the thought of what conspired between them and pushed forward with a steely determination. "I'm serious. Answer the question Aang, do you think I'm beautiful?"_

_Another disbelieving chuckle escaped him as he propped himself up on his elbows, and he looked at her with a playful smirk. "Do you think I would've married you if you weren't?" An angry thrust of her foot into his side made him wince as he amended quickly, "I was just joking!"_

_She threatened another jab and impulsively his hand went to the now slightly sore spot to protect it, an inkling of satisfaction that tugged the corner of her mouth up. Still though, her gaze was set on him expectantly and after a few more moments of his calculating look, she could see the defeat ring true in his expression as he closed his eyes with a sigh._

_"You're not going to drop this are you?" He asked though the faint turn of a smile was still on his face as he looked at her again. She narrowed her eyes and crossed her arms, resolving to let her body language speak for itself. He tipped his head in a vague nod, lips pursing together as he thought of his next words, and stealing a glance over at her before speaking it, the amusement gone from his voice, "No. You're not beautiful."_

_Her heart dropped as fast as her jaw and she gaped incredulously at him. Instantly her anger was gone and replaced by hurt. The tears started pooling at the corners of her eyes as her shoulders sagged and she forced herself to look away from him. Oh. "Oh." That wasn't the answer she was expecting and a bit embarrassingly her hands started to pull the sheets that unabashedly hugged her bare skin further up as his words sunk in._

_"You didn't let me finish." His voice was low and close as his hands pulled hers to him. Soft lips placed a feathery kiss on them, and she bit her lower lip to keep her stare locked elsewhere though it became harder as they ventured slowly but tenderly up her arm._

_If his sweet kisses weren't enough to melt her heart that thumped with every beat in her chest, the near whispers he spoke into each one did. "To say you are beautiful wouldn't be enough... these hands were the ones that saved my life," He pulled her closer as he laid a kiss to the inner edge of her shoulder, "...these shoulders carried burdens that were never theirs to carry, but did anyways, selflessly..." Tugging at the sheets just enough to pull them a little further, he placed another one right above her chest, "...and your heart has loved unconditionally even when it was hard to."_

_She knew her face was probably red, but that was the furthest thing from her mind in that moment as his last kiss brought her eyes swiftly back to his, wide at first but slowly relaxing into a steady gaze as she watched him move up to her face._

_He leaned up further, pushing another one to her temples as his airy voice continued to be all that filled her ears, the love in it becoming almost more than her heart could take. "To the way you always keep others before yourself..." Another to her tip of her ear, "...the way you always listened to whatever was on my mind..." Down to the stray tears that had managed to roll down her cheeks, "...for all the tears that came from caring too much because you could never care too little..." and finally pulling away slightly to look her in the eye, stormy gray clashing violently with crystal blue, he uttered without anything left in his voice but love, "Katara, beautiful can't describe how I see you because in my eyes you are perfect, and trying to use any other words would pale in comparison to the true beauty you hold inside of you."_

_Looking between his sincere orbs, ones that peered back into her with an earnestness that begged her to believe every last syllable of what he let hang in the air around them, she wondered why she'd even asked. Where his words failed to convince, he poured into the tender kiss on her lips. And whatever shred of doubt left in her mind was laid to rest where both failed._

* * *

Until all that was left to fill the grooves it etched into their hearts was the only purest form of passion there was. It had been there all along, squirming its way in and out of the intricacies of their beings before settling into a flowing stream of warmth that trickled into every bit of their soul. Weathering all the pain and grief that life inevitably brought, it stayed steady and unwavering... coursing between them always... it's flow familiar like that of water or air...

* * *

**You Are Everything to Me...**

_..._

_She sighed for what felt like the hundredth time that day and pinched the bridge of her nose. "I already told you sweetie; you have to wait to practice your bending."_

_Her voice wasn't nearly as authoritative as she wanted it to be, but it did a good job conveying the tiredness she felt. Peering down at the sweet blue eyes that looked dolefully at her, she could feel her resolve slipping away. Thankfully before she was forced to say anything the familiar grunt of a large bison came bellowing through the airy arches of the air temple and the small child's eyes widened with excitement as she sprinted towards the direction it came from._

_"Daddy!"_

_Katara followed the little one until she came up to the open doorway. She leaned against it as she watched Appa land gracefully on the large stone overlook and with a quick burst of air and that ever adorable grin on his face, Aang was on the ground in an instant, his arms scooping up the giddy child with ease. The scene filled her with an indescribable warmth that continued to flow through her heart ever since they found out she was pregnant with their first child, and she dropped her eyes into a half-lidded gaze as he pulled out the latest trinket from his orange and yellow robes, always having found time to pick something up for his daughter whenever he was called away for business. It was sweet and while the thought of him leaving never brought peace to her heart, it was moments like these that made it a little better. It didn't take long before his eyes fluttered up to meet hers and he closed the distance with the speed of only an air bender, laying a tender but longing kiss on her lips._

_"Eww! That's so gross!"_

_With a chuckle, he pulled away and looked back to the girl still in his arms, a look of disgust clearly visible on her small face. It changed quickly, back to the same pleading look Katara had been given minutes ago, and the little girl pulled at his robes. "Now that you are back, can you show me how to make a tornado now?—" Her deep blue eyes casted a pouty glare over at the water bender "—Mommy wouldn't let me even try until you came back!"_

_Katara rolled her eyes teasingly. "Maybe because the last time I let you air bend when daddy left, you nearly sent me off the mountain," Though she was over the incident, her eyes still narrowed at her husband warningly when a laugh still escaped his mouth at the memory. He awkwardly cleared his throat and gently placed his daughter back on the ground, much to her protesting._

_"Listen, we can go practice in a minute, okay? Why don't you go say hi to Appa—" He pulled a sad face as he jutted his bottom lip out while motioning to the white beast, "He really missed his Kya hugs."_

_The protest was still on her face with a pout and Katara couldn't help but laugh as Aang looked at her pleadingly before saying, "Please," and then proceeded to give her a few tickles on her side and a raspberry on her cheek as she squirmed with laughter. She nodded and with a cute giggle she was bouncing off towards the sky bison who looked just as excited to see her as he let out a light grunt._

_"Your daughter has been hounding me all day to air bend, I hope you're happy," Katara commented with a deadpanned voice, crossing her arms as her husband's attention was returned to her. She gave him a challenging look and he gaped humorously._

_"My daughter? Last time I checked it was both of us who brought her into this world so she's half yours too!"_

_She snorted and pointed over to Kya. "Aang, she may have my eyes, but everything else about that girl is yours, from her goofy grin down to her air bending."_

_As if on cue, the very same grin she aforementioned quickly spread across his face. "It's great isn't it?" He beamed, the amount of pride radiating off of him being enough to make her chuckle. She smacked his shoulder playfully and he used her arm to pull her close enough to place a kiss on her cheek. "I meant about her being an air bender." He gave her a smirk. "I figured one of our kids would be one, but I had no idea we'd get lucky on the first try."_

_"Yeah, it really is something," She remarked, looking back at Kya who chatted blissfully with Appa as she braided his white fur, never having figured either that she would end up inheriting her father's bending abilities. Katara glanced back at Aang, smiling at the sheer adoration on his face as he looked at their daughter before a mischievous smirk came to her face and she sighed wistfully. "Well, I guess that means we've done it. The world has another air bender now, so we won't have to keep trying for one anymore."_

_He could've easily snapped his neck at the force in which he turned back to look at her, his face shocked and drained of the happiness that once dominated it, and it took everything in her to keep from laughing. "You don't mean that, right?" He sounded so desperate at the prospect of their baby making days being over so soon._

_She felt bad, but only a little, and this was way too much fun not to milk it. "Face it Aang, we should put our energy and time to making sure Kya grows up well." She made her resolve sound as convincing as possible and for a moment he seemed to buy it, but just as the dejection sagged in his shoulders no sooner had her lips begun to curl upwards and he noticed. Initially a few emotions passed through his eyes, but soon enough a devious smile pulled at his lips and he kissed her with more passion than his first could only have dreamt to hold._

_"You're right, the world does and I love her beyond words, but my love for you was never about bringing another one into this world." His voice was lowered to a husky whisper as he began trailing down her jaw and to her neck. "It just means the pressure is off and we can have more fun instead."_

_Though she was enjoying the sparks of electricity he still managed to shoot off within her like it was day one again, she laughed and pushed him away. "Fun? I hate to break it to you, but I guess you are going find yourself pretty bored for the next.." Trailing off purposefully, she tapped her chin thoughtfully before giving him a sly grin, "oh say seven months?"_

_He blinked, his eyebrows shooting up in disbelief. "Wait, you're pregnant?"_

_With a giddy nod she suddenly found herself off the ground and being spun around in a tight embrace, laughter flowing freely from her at the excitement and pure joy that gleamed off her husband's face. He quickly set her back on her feet and knelt down to place a tender hand on her not yet swollen belly, a smile stretching from ear to ear as he gazed at the life being formed beneath his fingertips, another one that they had made together._

_Without warning, she slapped his hands away and he looked up at her in surprise._

_"Uh-uh, don't linger for too long. Last time you did this, she came out a mini-version of you," She playfully scolded before placing her hands where his had been, a warm smile coming to her lips as she peered down at them. There were no kicks yet, no real indication of life showing anywhere on her abdomen, but she could feel it, an energy unlike her daughters that coursed through her body. "I have a feeling he'll be a water bender. I just know it."_

_The warmth of his hands enveloped hers and she looked back to him just as he came up to kiss her once more. "As long as I can see you in him, that's all I could ever ask for" was the unwaveringly sweet whisper that filled her ears and she kissed him back, wrapping her arms around his neck as no amount of physical contact it seemed could ever communicate the amount of love she felt for him. Ultimately it didn't matter to her what their kids looked like or whose traits and abilities they inherited over the other because she agreed wholeheartedly with him._

_As long as she could see him in them then that was enough to make her heart as light as air._

_..._

**I Love You...**

_..._

_Katara always thought time had a funny way of showing itself; the very nature of it caused the days, the months, and the years to slowly tick by, but it became remarkably tangible when you've seen it long enough. She could feel the seconds pass and the minute fly by, yet it was only at certain milestones in her life when it really hit her just how much time had passed without her knowing it. The fine lines and creases that continued to etch their way into her face was proof enough of that._

_But that never really hit home for her the way that looking at him did. She watched silently as he packed his sac with a familiarity that had come from years of doing this simple ritual and her eyes carefully outlined the creases that had found their way onto his once taut skin. They each spoke volumes of the way he had lived his life. The weight he had to bear keeping peace in a world that wanted it but didn't know how to accept it. It was all there in the lines that only got deeper as the days drew on._

_They also held memories of the many good years she and him had spent together. The way the corners of his eyes wrinkled was only a testament to how often his grins blanketed his face, the scars and creases on his hands and arms that worked tirelessly to build a life for the two of them wherever they went, and the heart that still thumped to the same rhythm it had for over fifty years without ever once faltering... it was all there._

_He may have started out as just the avatar coming out of the iceberg, but here he stood as a friend, a lover, a husband, a father, and now, but really had always been, her lifelong companion. Her soul mate. She knew there was no amount of time they could be allotted that could ever give them enough days, enough years to truly come to a complacent point in their love for one another, and she really didn't want to. Her heart was his before it ever was._

_Fighting back the tears that brimmed her weary eyes, she noticed he had forgotten something and quickly disappeared into their house to find it. She found it where she thought she might, the small object nestled next to the picture frame that held of portrait of their family from years ago. Aang had his arm around her as she leaned into his chest, both of them smiling wide as their five kids created a sea of grins and smiles in front of them, not a single one looking any less like either._

_Her fingers traced the frame with a wistful smile. It was her dream to have a family of her own one day and she never expected what that dream would hold for her, what destiny had laid in store for her after it intertwined with his that day. Sure they had their ups and downs, no marriage was perfect and certainly not theirs, but looking back on the life they made together made it seem all the more real that love was stronger than anything._

_And that was all she could see in his eyes as he peered down with those ever-swirling gray orbs of his. He eyed her curiously as she made motion for him to hold out his hand, a smirk tugging her lips as he did so. The breeze seemed to pick up a little and she used her free hand to push her hair loopies away from her face._

_"I think you almost forgot something," She remarked playfully, allowing the hard object to slip into his hand. He observed it for a moment before smiling, his eyes still fixed to the small stone that sat in the middle of his palm._

_"I remember the day I made this." A light, reminiscent chuckle escaped his lips and he glanced up to her. "I never understood why you insisted I take this with me all these years, after all I made it for you."_

_She smiled and pulled his hands back to her. "I wanted you to know that no matter where you went, I was always there with you." She cupped the bottom of his hand with her and traced the outline of the stone, it's shape cut to resemble a heart though it's off centered cut and indentations made its identity a bit vague. It wasn't the most impeccable work she'd seen in water cutting of the South Pole, but he had done it with a promise to her that someday he would turn it into a betrothal pendant and that was enough to make it important to her._

_She traced her gaze back up to his and closed his hands over the precious piece of stone. "You have my heart and I never want you to forget that."_

_He stared at her silently and she felt his hands shift over hers, the familiar weight of the small object delicately being placed into her hand. "I never have." He squeezed her hands in his. "But I want you to keep it this time."_

_She gave him a confused look and his thumbs lightly caressed her skin. "This is me giving you mine. You stole it the day I first saw you and you always took good care of it, so you are the only one I trust to hold onto it, to keep it close to you. It's right where it should be."_

_Bringing his face to hers, he laid a gentle kiss to her lips that was full of the love he had shown to her ever since she could remember. It wasn't hot or passionate, nor full of the budding feelings that it used to convey, it was pure love and it sent her heart fluttering. Slowly pulling away, she said the only thing that felt like it could encompass all that she felt for him yet never could truly express it._

_"I love you, Aang."_

_Before loading up onto his sky bison, he gave her one of his signature grins._

_"I love you too, Katara."_

_She never told anyone, but there was something about that kiss that spoke a silent truth to her heart. He assured her he would come home just like always, but she knew he wouldn't. She knew that kiss would be their last._

_As she watched him take to the sky as effortlessly as the twelve-year-old boy she'd met did, anyone would've said she was crazy for standing there with a smile, so calm and collected as if just out to enjoy the afternoon breeze that swept gently over Republic City. Maybe she was a bit crazy, but that same boy told her once that friendship transcends lifetimes, and if that could then she wasn't worried. What they shared during their life was much more than that and it would never stop with him. That kiss was all she needed to know that love had intertwined their destinies together for longer than a lifetime._


End file.
